Financial Turmoil and Investment Turbulence

This chapter explores General Growth's struggles during a financial crisis and the resulting debt market panic, alongside a contrasting success story post-bankruptcy. It also chronicles Ackman's contentious short position against Herbalife, detailing his rivalry with Icahn and the intricate dynamics of short selling.

Transcript

chevron_right

Play full episode

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

In today’s episode, Shawn O’Malley (@Shawn_OMalley_) breaks down the rollercoaster ride of Bill Ackman’s career, who is one of the most famous investors alive.

You’ll learn about how Ackman’s career got its start, why his biggest successes were so brilliant, why his biggest losses were so painful, what his current portfolio looks like, why his company is looking to IPO, and what sparked his decade-plus feud with billionaire Carl Icahn, plus so much more!

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN

00:00 - Intro

02:24 - How Bill Ackman’s career got its start

03:56 - What started the feud between Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn

08:38 - Why Ackman’s first hedge fund, Gotham Partners, failed

15:54 - How Ackman was able to foresee MBIA’s collapse and the 2008 Financial Crisis

19:39 - Why Ackman wanted Wendy’s to spin off Tim Horton’s

22:01 - How Ackman made one of the greatest hedge fund trades ever

30:14 - Why Ackman’s campaign against Herbalife was a financial fiasco but not necessarily wrong

31:36 - What Ackman got incorrect about Valeant Pharmaceuticals

44:37 - What Ackman’s portfolio looks like today and his latest ventures

And much, much more!

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Kyle and the other community members.
Bill Ackman’s question at the 1998 Berkshire shareholder meeting.
2003 NYT article on Gotham Partners.
Highlights from the Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn debate over Herbalife.
Christine Richard's book, Confidence Game.
Bill Ackman’s research on MBIA.
Bill Ackman’s letter to Wendy’s CEO in 2005.
Check out Betting On Zero — Herbalife movie.
Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here.
Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed.

NEW TO THE SHOW?

Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok.
Check out our Millennial Investing Starter Packs.
Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here.
Try Kyle's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance.
Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services.
Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets.
Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.

SPONSORS

Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors:

⁠CFI Education⁠
⁠Airbnb⁠

Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email

HELP US OUT!

Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!

Get the app

Home Top podcasts Popular guests